Transposing key-board



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I. J. M. GILBERT. TRANSPOSING KEY BOARD.

No. 447,641. Patented Mar. 3, 1891.

ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. GILBERT.

TRANSPOSING KEY BOARD.

No. 447,641. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR. (7m QYMMM/ ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. M. GILBERT.

TRANSPOSING KEY BOARD. No. 447,641. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. GILBERT, OF PUTNEY, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF OXE-HALF TO GEORGE M. GILBERT, OF SIOUX CITY, IOXVA.

TRANSPOSiNG KEY-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 447,641, dated March 3, 1891.

' Application filed October 15, 1890. Serial No. 368,164. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JAnEs M. GILBERT, of Putney,in the county of Whndham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Transposing Key-13oard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in transposing key-boards for musical instruments; and the object of my invention is to produce a transposing key-board which may be quickly and easily adjusted, so that while music is being played as written it will in reality be produced in a higher or lower key, as the case may be.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a broken perspective view, partly in section, of the ordinary keys of a piano and the transposing key-board mounted above the keys. Fig. 2 is a transverse section 011 the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional plan of the hand-wheel for adjusting the key-board and the spring-catch for looking the hand-wheel, the view being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figais abroken plan showing the key-board frame in position in the piano-case, but with the finger-keys removed. Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a broken sectional view showing the application of the transposing key-board to an organ, and Fig. 7 is a plan of the same with the finger'keys removed.

The piano-case A is of the usual construction, having at each end of the key-board the horizontal boards a, which are arranged so that the key-board may slide beneath them, and the case has the usual horizontal partition B, to a cross-bar B of which are pivoted the keys C, which are of the usual construction, except that they are not provided with finger-keys. The keys 0 are guided by pins 0, which extend upward from a crossbar C in the usual manner, so as to enter slots in the front ends of the keys, and the front ends of the keys have thin pieces of felt or other suitable material upon their upper sides to prevent noise when the upper keys strike upon them.

The keys of the transposing key-board are mounted in a rectangular frame which slides in the piano-case, and which consists of the parallel front and rear rails D and the connecting end rails D, the end rails D being widened at their front ends, as shown at (Z in Figs. 2 and 5, so that the rear rail D is higher than the front rail of the frame, and consequently extends above the rear ends of the keys in the transposing key-board.

A cross-bar E extends through the pianocase behind the rear rail 1) of the key-board frame, and on the upper and lower sides of the cross-bar are forwardly-extending clips E, which are bent over at their forward ends, as shown at 6, so as to fitupon corresponding shoulders of the rear rail D, and thus guide the key-board frame.

Located in the case at each side of the main keys 0 are short strips F, which serve as guides and prevent the upper keys or the keys of the key-board from dropping down when they are moved from above the lower keys. The upper keys G, which form the finger-keys of the transposing key-board, are-pivoted to the rear rail D of the rectangular frame by means of the blocks H, there being a block for each key, and the blocks are attached firmly to the rear rail D of the keyboard frame and have depending tongues h at their lower ends, which project into slots in the keys G and to which the keys are pivoted by suitable pins. On the rear ends of the keys G and on the upper sides are weights J, which are screwed to the keys, and by properly adj usting the weights the keys may be nicely balanced.

The front rail D of the key-board frame lies flatwise upon the partition B, and extending along the upper surface of the rail and on opposite sides thereof are the parallel bars K and K, the front bar K having upon its upper edge guide-pins 7;, which extend into slots in the longer or natural keys G, and

the rear bar K, having similar pins extending'into corresponding slots in the shorter and it will thus be seen that the bar may be moved vertically, but cannot be displaced.

The bar L rests normally upon the stopblocks L As shown in Fig. 1, the front rail D of the key-board frame is slotted longitudinally,the slot aligning with the transverse bar L, and fixed in one side of the slot is a rack M, which meshes with a pinion N, the pinion being fixed to a shaft N, which extends downwardly through the partition B, which forms the bottom of that part of the case which is immediately beneath the key-board. The shaft N turns in a suitable sleeve n, and fixed to the lower end of the shaft is a hand-wheel N which has perforations at extending verti cally through it and arranged at regular intervals therein.

A fiat spring 0 is fixed to the under side of the partition 13 at one end, and the free end of the spring presses upon the upper side of the hand-wheel N and is provided with adepending stud 0, which enters one of the perforations n of the hand-wheel and thus prevents the wheel from being turned, and if the hand-wheel is looked it will be seen that on account of its connection with the key-board frame the key-board will be also looked, so that it cannot be accidentally moved. A pin P extends vertically through the partition B and through a suitable guide-block P on the upper side of the partition, the upper end of the pin impinging on the lower side of the transverse bar L and the lower end of the pin impinging upon the upper side of the spring 0. It will thus be seen that when the spring 0 is raised to unlock the hand-wheel the pin will also raise the transverse bar L, and that pressing against the lower sides of the keys G will raise these keys from contact with the keys 0, so that the key-board frame may be moved to the right or left, as desired.

To shift thekey-board theoperator raises the spring 0, thus unlocking the hand-wheel and raising the keys, as shown, and the hand-Wheel is then turned to the right or left, as desired, thus causing the pinion N to actuate the rack M and 'thekey-board frame, and upon releasing the spring the stud 0 immediately enters one of the perforations of the hand-wheel and locks the hand-wheel and the key-board, as above described.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the keyboard as applied to an organ, and in these figures the device is substantially the same,

but only one set of keys is necessary. The organ-case A has the-usual horizontal part1- tion B and on the upper side of the parti tion near the ends are cross-bars Q, upon which is mounted a rectangular frame D, the frame being adapted to slide thereon, and upon the front and rear sides of the frame are produced flanges d, which are overlapped by the angular clips q, attached to the front and rear ends of the cross-bars Q, and the clips thus serve as guides for the frame. The frame D has keys G pivoted therein, the keys being of the usual construction, except that they are slotted horizontally on their rear ends, as shown at g, and the keys are pivoted to the frame at their rear ends by means of the pins g. An angular clip R is fixed to the rear rail of the frame D and enters the slots in the rear'ends of the keys,

thus serving as a guide and preventing the di'splacement'of the keys.

Beneath the frame D is a transverse bar S, and pins S Y extend vertically through the bar in alignment with the keys G, the upper ends of the pins impinging on the lower edges of the keys, and the lower ends of the pins impinging upon the levers T, which operate the reed mechanism of the organ in the, usual manner. The frame is also provided with a transverse bar L for raising the keys in the manner already described,withsuitable guidepins 76, which enter slots in the keys, and with the rack and pinion movement already de-. scribed for moving the frame. The organcase has rods 15 fixed to the inner sides at each end, so as to project over the frame D, and

ing down when they are moved to one side of the reed-levers T. a It will be seen that when the keys G of the piano or the keys G of the organ are moved to one side they will be moved also beyond the piano-keys G or the organ-levers T, and in order that the instruments may always be played up to their full capacity they are provided with extra finger-keys, there being enough extra keys so that the piano-keys O and the organ-levers T will all be constantly covered. The instruments are played'in the usual manner, and when the keys G of the piano are depressed they'operate upon the keys 0, causing them to operate the pianohammers in the usual manner, and when the organ-keys G are depressed they cause the pins S to operate upon the levers T, so that any one who can play an instrument of the ordinary construction can play upon it when provided with the transposing key-board.

To facilitate the adjustment of the transposing key-board, that part of the case of the piano or organ which is immediately behindthe finger-keys is lettered, as shown in Fig. 1, the letters corresponding to the permanent keys of the instrument and being'directly above the same, and the 0 keys of the trans;

IIO

and the change made by shifting the keyboard will be indicated by the position of the arrows in relation to the letters on the case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A transposing keyboard comprising a movable frame having the finger-keys pivoted therein, a raek-andpinion movement for actuating the frame, and a locking device for the pinion, substantially as described.

2. A transposing key-board comprising a movable frame, a series of finger-keys pivoted in the frame, said keys having guide-pins, as shown, avertically-movable bar extending transversely beneath the keys, means for raising the bar, a rack-and-pinion movement for operating the frame, and a locking device for the pinion, substantially as described.

3. A transposing key-board comprising a laterally-movable frame having a series of keys pivoted therein, said keys having suitable gnide-pins, as shown, a guide for the frame, a rack-andpinion movement for operating the frame, and a locking device for the pinion, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the keys of a transposin g key-board and the frame in which they are pivoted, of a bar pivoted transversely below the keys, a rack on the frame, a pinion engaging the rack, and a lock for the pinion, which look is also in engagement with the pivoted bar, substantially as described.

5. A transposing key -board comprising a frame, a series of keys pivoted in the frame and provided with suitable guide pins, a transverse bar extending beneath the front ends of the keys, a rack-and-pinion movement for operating the frame, a pinion-shaft having a perforated handle located beneath the case of the instrument, a spring having one end fixed to the instrument beneath the key-board and having its free end provided with a stud adapted to enter the perforations of the pinion -handle, and a pin extending through the instruineiitcase, having its upper end impinging on the transverse bar and its lower end on the spring, substantially as de scribed.

6. The combination, with a piano, of a frame mounted above the piano-keys and having a series of finger-keys pivoted therein, suitable guides for the frame and for the keys, a vertically-movable bar extending transversely beneath the keys, said bar having a link connection with the frame, as shown, a rack-andpinion movement for operating the frame, a pinion-shaft having a perforated handle located beneath the case of the instrument, a spring having one end fixed to the instrument-case and the free end provided with a stud to enter the perforations of the pinionhandle, anda pin extendingvertically through the case, its upper end impinging on the transverse bar and its lower end impinging on the spring, substantially as described.

7. In a transposing key-board, the combination of the movable frame, the blocks fixed to the rear rail of the frame and provided with depending tongues, and the finger-keys having slots therein to receive the tongues, substantially as described.

8. In a transposing key-board, the combination of the movable frame, the blocks fixed to the rear rail of the frame and provided with depending tongues, and the finger-keys having slots to receive the tongues, said keys being pivoted to the tongues and having their rear ends provided with weights, substantially as described.

In a transposing key-board, the combination, with the movable frame having the finger-keys pivoted therein, of a cross-bar ex tending above the keys, and clips fixed to the cross-bar and having their ends bent to embrace and guide the end rail of the frame, substantially as described.

10. In a transposing key-board, the combination of the movable frame, the rack-andpiniou movement for operatingthe frame, the

perforated handle of the pinion-shaft, and the spring fixed to the instrumentcase and provided at its free end with a stud adapted to enter the perforations of the pinion-handle, substantially as described.

JAMES M. GILBERT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. SrownLL, JOHN W. STo'wnLL. 

